Late afternoon...

Home again after my wander to the coast... the sun was shining, and my bike was calling. A quick late afternoon ride in warmer temperatures than I would expect for October felt wonderful.

Visiting sea gulls

New Hampshire's Atlantic coast is a good place for me to get a quick ocean "fix". I tend to stay away during the summer months; I prefer the quieter seasons.

Today I was seeking waves. The ocean didn't cooperate from a wave standpoint, but it felt good to walk along the beach, to watch the patterns in the water, to speak to the birds, and yes, even to see some fall colors.

Reflected color

Colors of the day

I'm amazed at how fast the leaves seem to change; it's almost as if the transformation happens overnight.

A large number of trees are still sporting green leaves, and that seems to make the colors stand out even more.

Are you looking at me?

Sometimes animals just make me smile. I was looking, and this sheep was looking back. I could almost hear him talking to me.

No right turn?

What? I haven't been able to turn left out of (or into) my place since the end of May. That's when construction started on the section of road right in front of my drive. It's a busy section of road, two lanes in either direction with turn lanes and a center divider. The section of road that was being replaced is relatively short; I'd be surprised if it is even a quarter of a mile.

Wouldn't you think a relatively short section of road could be totally removed and rebuilt within the scope of weeks? Nope, the construction has been going on for over four months now. I've only been able to turn right out of here and turn right into the drive for that entire time. This afternoon I was surprised with a newly grooved and blocked off section of roadway. This time I couldn't see an entry between the barrels so that I could turn right into my road.

Now what? I zipped around again (a couple of mile around, that is), and cut through the Merrimack College campus to gain access to my road. I have to admit, this lack of direct access is getting pretty old.

The road was in really poor shape, so the rebuild was really needed. But hey! Enough, already! And the real killer is, since they are tackling very small sections each year I would bet that there is a similar access (or should I say lack of access?) problem again next year.

Blinking to be seen

Bright lights, blinking, drawing attention...

There was still light in the sky when I headed out for a bit of after-work exercise, but there was a definite chill in the air and the sun was sinking fast. I stopped the thought "it's too cold to walk" in its tracks, knowing that in just a few weeks today's temperatures in the low 50s will feel warm.

It was a day for light layers, a day for donning blinking lights. It's that time of year.

Walking, warmth-generating exercise, blinks of bright colored light enhancing my visibility, walking...

Glimpses of England's Lake District

It was a visit that combined wandering on my own with attending a photography seminar, a chance to walk in places where I'd never been before. I'm certain that I'll go back though; the Lake District has jumped onto my list of "must return to" places.

If you'd like to see some of the sights that flowed by my eyes, please visit my Fells, lakes, wonders photo galleries. And if you prefer words over pictures, you can wander through my words in my journal.

Up... dodd & fell:

A jumble of a day:


Down... lake & dale:


Circling, changing places:

Sleeping warm

Ah, the comfort of flannel sheets...

It seems too early to make the switch back to colder month's flannel sheets, but yesterday I decided that it was the right time. Slipping into a flannel-lined bed on a chilly night is a real comfort. So nice...

Early morning darkness

I wonder how long it will take me to grow accustomed to the dark sky outside of my window when I wake up. It's so tempting to roll over and go back to sleep, and yet, it's time to pop up and start my day.

I suppose as long as I need to convince myself to get up while the sky is still wearing a dark coat that I should try to get up even earlier so I can walk before starting my work day. Hmmm...